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Opioid Task Force Prepares to Enter Mission’s Next Phase
3.6.2019
Ed Kopetsky – CIO, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
Just prior to the CHIME HIMSS CIO Forum in Orlando, Fla., the Opioid Task Force met to discuss our plans for 2019. It was an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the first year’s achievements and reflect on what we still needed to do to make a dent in the opioid epidemic. It also was a chance to thank a partner who helped us get the task force off the ground, and welcome new leaders to take us though our next chapter.
We formed the CHIME Opioid Task Force in early 2018 to leverage the healthcare IT expertise and national network of members in CHIME and the CHIME Foundation to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic. I was truly honored to have Jim Turnbull serve with me as a co-chair. Jim has been a long-term friend and is close with my family. Jim supported us through our son Tim’s struggles with opioid addiction, and shared our hope and joy as Tim pulled free from opioids’ grip and excelled in life during recovery for nearly five years. And he mourned with us when Tim passed away, succumbing within hours of contact with heroin as he came to the aid of a friend who had relapsed and overdosed. Our conversation after Tim’s service in 2017 sparked the creation of the CHIME Opioid Task Force.
Besides being a great friend, Jim is a great leader. As co-chair, he helped to build a foundation for the task force to take on addictions’ challenges. In our first year, the task force defined our mission and scope, launched a free and open webinar series to share best practices around the world and released the first three chapters of a play book for CIOs. CHIME’s public policy team has worked with us to ensure healthcare IT leaders’ voice is heard in Washington on IT-related policies, regulations and laws that address the opioid crisis.
Credit goes to our task force members, a group of CHIME members and CHIME Foundation members who have committed countless volunteer hours to these initiatives, including strategies to reduce unnecessary prescriptions of opioids in our health systems and communities. At our meeting, we announced that two of these outstanding members are taking over for Jim and joining me as co-chairs. They are Patty Lavely, senior vice president and CIO at Gwinnett Medical Center, and Dave Lehr, vice president and CIO at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
Patty and Dave will help lead us through an important next phase for the task force. Earlier we had kicked off a fundraising campaign to support the task force going forward and develop the Health IT Action Center, an online resource for healthcare organizations to help implement systems and practices to address the opioid crisis. Nordic CEO Bruce Cerullo co-chaired the drive with me, and thanks to generous support of CHIME members and Foundation partners, we are nearly halfway to our goal of raising $750,000 through donations and pledges. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s support and encourage anyone who believes in our cause to donate here.
We also will continue to host educational webinars and offer our expertise to shape opioid policies. We expect to publish the final play book chapters in the next few months, too. We know that CHIME and the CHIME Opioid Task Force are making a difference, and we also know we can’t let up. This will be a long and challenging battle, but one we can win. If you would like to join us, please email [email protected].
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Posted 3.7.2019 -
Boot Camp, Certification Reflect Karen Wilding’s Commitment to Excellence
3.7.2019
Ashley Jester – Specialist, Professional Development and Membership
To say Karen Wilding has a challenging job is an understatement. As senior director of Quality & Value Based Care at the University of Maryland Medical System, she is responsible for driving value-based care efforts across acute and ambulatory care settings while also leading major operating divisions for both the University of Maryland Quality Care Network and UM Transform Health MD. Add to this a sector that is in transition while the technology it increasingly relies on is evolving at the speed of light.
“The changing healthcare environment demands a dynamic leader to build cross-functional teams, ready to invest in others,” Wilding said.
Wilding credits lessons learned at the fall 2017 CHIME CIO Boot Camp for successfully navigating her daily challenges. Boot camp provided a life-changing experience that helps her think critically about what she does, who she is and how her actions can change lives.
“CHIME offers a unique approach for their CIO Boot Camp,” she said. “It’s not about the technology, it’s about the people. The camp placed me in an environment with peers and mentors, allowing me focused time to reflect and learn new approaches to change management, collaboration and communication. To be a strong leader, self-awareness is critical. I like to consider the Boot Camp as my ‘reset button,’ an opportunity I used to realign my professional goals and work priorities while remaining family centric.”
In addition to her Boot Camp experience, Wilding had the opportunity to put her knowledge and experience to the test, quite literally, through CHIME’s Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) program. The CHCIO program offers CHIME members the chance to be credentialed and recognized for the talent and experience they have. The exam is one component to earning this designation and is always offered at the conclusion of the CIO Boot Camp. Wilding took advantage of the being able to take the exam onsite after Boot Camp to earn her CHCIO. “I was honored to be acknowledged for my professional accomplishments and knowledge with the CHCIO certification,” she said. She joins over 600 CHIME members who have become distinguished CHCIOs and CHCIO-Eligible professionals. “The certification demands a balance of technical, operational and leadership knowledge.”
The CIO Boot Camp is an intense three-and one-half-day education program designed to develop real-world skills that are necessary to becoming a successful healthcare CIO. The CHCIO program is a separate opportunity that aligns knowledge with experience to assess a participant’s level of expertise as a healthcare CIO. If you have questions about either program or feel ready to take the challenge, please contact anyone on the CHIME team by calling 734-665-0000 or emailing [email protected].
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Posted 3.7.2019 -
Deadline Nears to Submit Proposals to Present at CHIME19
3.7.2019
Candace Stuart – Director, Communications & Public Relations
CHIME members and CHIME Foundation partners have until 5 p.m. ET March 22 to submit proposals for 2019 CHIME Fall CIO Forum track sessions and Leadership from the Edge presentations. Sixteen track session proposals and three Leadership from the Edge talks will be selected for presentations that will be scheduled on either Nov. 4 or 5.CHIME members who are full members, corporate senior IT or IS members or CMIO or CNIO members can submit up to four proposals for track sessions but only one per track. CHIME Foundation partners at the premier, standard or associate level can submit up to four proposals for track sessions and only one per track as well. Up to four speakers are allowed; a panel moderator is considered a speaker.
Preference is given to proposals that include one or more CHIME provider health IT executives. Foundation partners should include a CHIME provider member as a primary speaker on each proposal. Foundation members can get tips here from industry representatives who presented last year.
This year’s four track session topics are:
- Strategy and leadership
- Business and care transformation
- Emerging technologies
- Clinical informatics
More information about track session submission requirements, topics, the selection process and important dates is available here. Submissions can be made here.
Leadership from the Edge proposals should be forward-looking, innovative and compelling. Launched at CHIME17, Leadership from the Edge features three 20-minute presentations in a format similar to TED talks. Speakers are expected to tackle big questions and offer provocative ideas that may include novel, disruptive, game-changing technologies and leadership strategies.
There is a limit of two speakers on each proposal. Any proposal listing a Foundation partner must include a CHIME member CIO, CMIO or CNIO as the primary speaker and a senior-level executive from the Foundation firm.
There is no limit to the number of Leadership from the Edge proposals that can be submitted. More information about Leadership from the Edge submission process and requirements is available here. Submissions can be made here.
Please contact Christy Kenyon at [email protected] for any questions related to the proposal submission process for either track sessions or Leadership from the Edge.
CHIME19 will be Nov. 3-6 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix. More details about the forum will be available later this year.
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Posted 3.7.2019 -
DrFirst Leads the Way Towards Helping EHR Companies Seamlessly Achieve NCPDP SCRIPT 2017071 Certification
DrFirst enables partners to convert to new standards and stay compliant with ever-expanding rules and regulations
ROCKVILLE, MD — March 5, 2019 — DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of e-prescribing, price transparency, and medication management solutions, today announced that its flagship Rcopia® product has been certified compliant with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) mandated NCPDP SCRIPT 2017071 (Script 2017) e-prescribing standard.
As an early adopter of the new standards, DrFirst provides partner EHRs with a competitive advantage by simplifying the process of achieving compliance with Script 2017 far in advance of the January 1, 2020 deadline. DrFirst removes many of the burdens EHRs face when attempting to migrate standards under pressure while also trying to manage their existing software enhancement roadmaps. Now that DrFirst has received Surescripts certification, they have begun working with their EHR partners to help them accelerate their timelines and make the transition to Script 2017 standards simple and quick.
Implementing Script 2017 requires significant development by every e-prescribing and EHR vendor, on top of continually chasing the ever-evolving landscape of new governmental regulations such as state-specific prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) checks and satisfying federal requirements for electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) by January 1, 2021.
“While Script 2017 is expected to advance the efficiency, quality, and safety of e-prescribing; it may also be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many EHR companies that find maintaining compliance with complex and unpredictable e-prescribing standards too costly,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “Fulfilling these requirements also detracts from their innovation efforts. By outsourcing the e-prescribing component of their platform to a vendor that has led the market for nearly two decades, our partners can fully invest their resources towards developing their competitive advantage and delivering on their promises to clients.”
The Industry Leader, Staying Ahead of the Curve
DrFirst’s Script 2017 certification is the latest example of the company’s 19-year history of innovating to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving regulatory environment for e-prescribing. DrFirst pioneered secure electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and was first-to-market with the ability to check patient prescription drug benefits and real-time price transparency. DrFirst’s track record of creating practical, powerful, and innovative solutions is a primary reason why over 300 EHR companies have partnered with the company to enable e-prescribing for their physician customers.
“E-prescribing workflow represents a critical but relatively small portion of the overall EHR scope, yet it’s exponentially more time-consuming for EHR vendors to maintain, thanks to the continuous revisions to standards and regulatory requirements,” said Deemer. “A strategic partnership with DrFirst delivers compliance, best-in-class solutions, and first-mover advantages for EHR companies without the complexity and time required to build, monitor, and support products internally.”
Choosing the Right Vendor
DrFirst is the gold standard for high-impact innovations and proven reliability across a wide array of e-prescribing service areas:
- Industry-leading e-prescribing of both legend drug and controlled substances (EPCS)
- In-workflow electronic prior authorization (ePA), price transparency, PDMP, and patient medication adherence support tools
- Co-op marketing and implementation training to drive end-user adoption
- 24/7/365 prescription monitoring and customer support
DrFirst avoids competing with its EHR partners and focuses instead on filling crucial gaps and innovating in important niche areas of healthcare. The company provides stable, reliable, cost-effective technology solutions that are on the leading edge and constantly upgraded through a rigorous improvement process. DrFirst software can be integrated into any EHR system through web portal access or at the API level, allowing EHRs to maintain complete control of their UI/UX if desired.
About DrFirst
DrFirst, the nation’s leading provider of e-prescribing, price transparency, and medication management solutions, enables stakeholders across the healthcare industry to use comprehensive real-time data and connectivity to increase their patient safety ratings, efficiency, and profitability. Today, more than 220,000 healthcare professionals and more than 60% of electronic health record (EHR) vendors depend on DrFirst’s innovative software solutions to improve clinical workflows, expedite secure collaboration across a patient’s care team and drive better health outcomes. The company’s integrated technologies include its award-winning electronic prescribing platform, the most comprehensive medication history available, clinically specialized secure messaging, and patient medication adherence monitoring and benefits checking. In addition, DrFirst was the first to offer e-prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS) and is considered the industry standard for providers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.drfirst.com or connect with us @DrFirst.
DrFirst Media Contact:
Jenn Cohen
Amendola Communications
404.759.3933
[email protected]Posted 3.5.2019 -
Optimum Healthcare IT Surpasses 100 Go-Live Projects
Highly-Rated KLAS Recognized Services
Jacksonville Beach, FL – March 5, 2019 – Optimum Healthcare IT, a Best in KLAS healthcare staffing and consulting services firm, announced today that the company’s Training and Activation practice had surpassed 100 electronic health record (EHR) go-live projects. Optimum’s dedicated practice provides project coordination, onboarding, logistics, training, and more to meet an organization’s project needs.
With a practice 100% dedicated to training and go-live, Optimum Healthcare IT can customize our offering to fit the needs of any organization. Whether a phased approach or a big-bang go-live, our leadership, training, and support experts provide the best services, the industry has to offer. With our staff, methodologies, and tools, Optimum has the experience to organize, schedule, and manage any size go-live.
The Training and Activation Support Practice at Optimum is led by Rebecca Manne, a nurse with 40 years of clinical experience, the last 16 of which have been focused on leading large Epic training and activation initiatives. Also, Mrs. Manne’s leadership team has over 100 years of combined Epic training and activation experience with diverse clinical and operational backgrounds.
“Our Go-Live leadership team is a cohesive group with close to 100 years of combined experience, and bring a highly refined methodology combined with lessons learned, and a large database of skilled and seasoned ATE support veterans,“ said Rebecca Manne, Executive Vice President, Training & Activation of Optimum Healthcare IT. “Our goal is to ensure that our client partners are successful in achieving their goals of providing the best patient care possible.”
To learn more about Optimum Healthcare IT’s Training and Activation Services, click here.
About Optimum Healthcare IT
Optimum Healthcare IT is a Best in KLAS healthcare IT staffing and consulting services firm based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Optimum provides world-class professional staffing services to fill any need as well as consulting services that encompass advisory, EHR implementation, training and activation, EHR optimization, community connect, managed services, enterprise resource planning, security, and ancillary services – supporting our client’s needs through the continuum of care. Our organization is led by a leadership team with more than 100 years of experience in providing expert healthcare staffing and consulting solutions to all types of organizations.
Visit www.optimumhit.com or call 1.904.373.0831 to find out how your organization can take advantage of our service offerings.
Media Contact:
Larry Kaiser
VP, Marketing
Optimum Healthcare IT
516.978.5487
[email protected]Posted 3.5.2019
